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"Dreams" is much more than a level editor, but it doesn't replace game engines

19.2.2020

Translation: machine translated

"Dreams" is more than just a game. It is a gamified game engine. You can use it to design your own games without any programming knowledge. However, it remains to be seen whether "Dreams" is more than just entertaining.

Game design is an art. Countless components have to form a functioning whole: sound, graphics, animations, artificial intelligence. For outsiders without programming knowledge, it seems like an impossible endeavour. "Dreams" from developer Media Molecule wants to change that.

"Dreams" gives you the tools to design your own games on the PS4. From animated videos and replicas of Pelican Town from "Stardew Valley" to "Super Mario" levels and completely customised games, there are virtually no limits. You play, or rather work, entirely in a graphical environment and with the Dualshock controller. It's amazing what's possible with it and on a console. With motion control, you control a small, cuddly imp that stands in for your mouse pointer. Alternatively, you could unpack your old Move controllers.

An introduction lasting several hours

When you start "Dreams" for the first time, various detailed tutorials are available one after the other. These explain camera work, texture design and music composition. If you go through everything carefully, and I strongly advise you to do so, it will take you several hours. After that, however, you will be able to design your own game relatively quickly. Alternatively, you can also jump into the "Dream Surfing" mode right from the start and try out the creations of other players. As "Dreams" has been in beta for over a year, there are already countless games available. Media Molecule has also contributed some worth playing.

Even when dreaming, there are limits

Despite all the ingenuity and accessibility of "Dreams", the game, or rather the game engine, also has its limitations. Much of this is probably due to the PS4. After all, the console still has to be able to calculate your work itself. And the hard disc space is also not enough to create your own "Red Dead Redemption 2". You are also more limited in what you can do in favour of usability than if you create a game in Unity or another traditional game engine.

Despite this, "Dreams" is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious games of recent years. It is far more than a simple level editor. Even if it doesn't replace existing game engines, I'm really excited to see what players will do with it in the coming months and years. I'm sure they'll surprise me.

You can see an overview of the fantastic works that users have already created in the Let's Play with me and Raphi.

"Dreams" was made available to us by Sony. The game is available exclusively for the PS4.

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Philipp Rüegg

Senior Editor

Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.

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"Dreams" is much more than a level editor, but it doesn't replace game engines

An introduction lasting several hours

Even when dreaming, there are limits

These articles might also interest you

"Hades" is hellishly good

"Tabletop simulator: we test digital board games

"Iron Man VR" - or rather, the charging simulator

5 comments

5 comments

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